Qualitative Research

Qualitative research is about capturing insights.  We speak to consumers to understand the ‘why’ behind their decisions.  Qualitative research is used to develop brand insights, understand satisfaction, explore needs and wants, and test concepts including advertising.

We conduct focus groups, mini-groups, dyads and one-on-one interviews. We lead dynamic discussions that enable in-depth probing that result in behavioural insights.

Qualitative research can be done at a traditional facility, using various online tools or in the actual setting. Sometimes one-on-one interviews are completed by telephone.

We employ a number of qualitative techniques including:

• Ethnography: Ethnography is about conversation and observation in context. We use it to build insights in context of the real world environment in which the respondent makes decisions.
  
  We can also use an ethnographic approach to have respondents record through text, pictures and video their own experience and thinking within a real world setting.
  

• Storytelling: Visual expression enables respondents to get at new or deep-seated emotional topics. Often people can express themselves better visually than verbally. Participants collect or take pictures, or select from a set of pictures, that reflect how they feel about a particular subject matter.
  

• Projective Techniques: These techniques are fun, and they help develop an understanding of the underlying feelings that the respondent has towards the object or topic studied. These tools and other games create engagement and help develop deeper insights. Examples include sentence completion, word association, brand personality exercise, and birth announcement.
  

• Laddering: A technique used in the context of one-on-one interviews, by asking a series of "why" questions to move from the top of mind tangible to the underlying intangible attributes.